Seaports Niedersachsen Increase Throughput by Four Percent

In the first half of the current year, the nine Niedersachsen seaports were able to increase their total throughput volume in maritime traffic to 27.7 million tons, a 4% increase compared to the first half of 2024. The seaports recorded significant growth in the handling of general cargo, with container volume more than doubling compared to the same period last year.

(Oldenburg) The Niedersachsen seaports of Brake, Cuxhaven, Emden, Leer, Nordenham, Oldenburg, Papenburg, Stade, and Wilhelmshaven confirm the upward trend from 2024 with further increasing throughput figures. The seaborne cargo handling grew by 4% in the first half of 2025 compared to the same period last year, reaching 27.7 million tons (26.7 million tons in the first half of 2024).

In container handling, a total of 664,685 TEU was recorded in the first half of 2025, representing an increase of 122% compared to the first half of the previous year. Niedersachsen seaports also saw an 11% increase in non-containerized general cargo handling, which amounted to around 3.7 million tons. This development is supported by an increased volume of project cargo, e.g., from the wind energy sector, as well as iron and steel products. With a total of 844,826 handled new vehicles, there is a growth of 3% in this cargo segment. The handling of bulk goods also increased by 8% to nearly 6.4 million tons. However, there was a decline of 21% in the handling of liquid bulk goods, with a volume of 11.7 million tons in the first half of 2025.

“In a still very challenging market environment, we as the Niedersachsen port group have achieved a very positive throughput result by mid-year. Investments in the ports from public sources as well as by private port service providers along customer needs and societal concerns – keyword energy transition – and the specialized service offerings of our port operations are having the right effects. However, it remains to be seen how geopolitical and economic currents will affect the business of the seaports in the second half of the year,” comments Inke Onnen-Lübben, Managing Director of Seaports of Niedersachsen GmbH, on the current throughput figures.

The Results of the Member Ports in Detail

Brake

The seaport of Brake achieved a growth in seaborne cargo handling of 13% to nearly 2.8 million tons in the first half of 2025. This growth is driven by higher handling volumes of agricultural products as well as a strong development in the general cargo sector, particularly with forest products and the handling of iron and steel.

Cuxhaven

Cuxhaven recorded an increase of 61% to around 1.8 million tons in seaborne cargo handling in the first half of 2025. Particularly, the general cargo sector, including the handling of wind energy components and vehicles, as well as significant growth in construction material handling, contributed to this result. The automobile handling amounted to 195,280 vehicles (+16%) in the first half of 2025.

Emden

The seaport of Emden also reports increasing throughput figures in seaborne traffic, where total handling grew by 12% to nearly 2.4 million tons in the first half of 2025. Here too, the handling of general cargo such as forest products and components for wind energy plants has developed positively. The handling of solid bulk goods such as construction materials and chemical raw materials also increased. Vehicle handling remained approximately at the previous year’s level with 611,411 vehicles.

Leer

In Leer, around 93,000 tons of goods were handled in combined sea and inland shipping in the first half of 2025, representing a decline of 10% compared to the same period last year. There were shifts of cargo volumes to the port railway.

Nordenham

Despite a significant increase in the handling of liquid goods and a steady general cargo business, the seaport of Nordenham recorded an overall decline in throughput figures in maritime traffic. In the first half of 2025, just over 1 million tons of seaborne cargo handling was registered, which is about 8% less than in the first half of the previous year. The main reason is the missing volumes in coal handling.

Oldenburg

Due to the damage to the railway bridge in Elsfleth, the port of Oldenburg has been cut off from maritime traffic since the end of February 2024. Therefore, there was no seaward throughput volume in the first half of 2025. Inland vessels can only pass through the constructed temporary bridge depending on the tide. The total throughput in inland shipping remained nearly unchanged at 375,537 tons compared to the previous year. The bridge is expected to be renewed by early 2028, allowing seagoing vessels to call at the port of Oldenburg again. Until then, large volumes will also be managed via rail to reliably supply the port-based industries.

Papenburg

The port of Papenburg achieved an increase in seaborne traffic of 2% with 324,470 tons in the first half of 2025, primarily due to increased general cargo volumes. There was also a significant increase of 41% in the important inland shipping traffic for the location, with nearly 114,000 tons of goods handled in the first half of the year.

Stade

In the seaport of Stade, an increase of 5% to around 1.1 million tons in the seaward handling of liquid bulk goods was recorded in the first half of 2025. Due to reduced volumes of solid bulk goods, such as construction materials, the location on the Elbe achieved a slightly declining result with a total of 2.6 million tons of seaborne cargo handling in the first half of 2025 (-6%).

Wilhelmshaven

At the Container Terminal Wilhelmshaven, the number of handled containers in the first half of 2025 reached 664,685 TEU, more than doubling compared to the first half of 2024. The total throughput in the port of Wilhelmshaven in the first half of the current year remained unchanged at 16.7 million tons compared to the previous year. There was a decline of 28% in the handling of crude oil, with around 7.4 million tons recorded in the first six months of the year. In contrast, the handling volumes of solid bulk goods increased, with coal handling growing by 32% to nearly 950,000 tons in the first half of 2025. The handling of vehicles amounted to 38,135 vehicles from January to June, representing an increase of 40% compared to the same period last year.

Photo: © Seaports